Phonograph recorder



Dec. 1941- c. G. JOHNSON PHONOGRAPH RECORDER Filed April 15, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet l Dec. 23, 1941'. 'c. e. JOHNSON R 2,266,763

' PHONOGRAPH RECORDER Filed April 15, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Dec. 23, 1941 PHONO GRAPH RECORDER Carl G. Johnson, Chicago, 111., assignor to J. P. Seeburg Corporation, a corporation of Illinois Application April 15, 1940, Serial No. 329,591

7 Ciaims. (Cl. 274-13) This invention relates to phonograph recorders and has for its principal object to provide an improved phonograph recorder.

One 01' the principal objects is to provide an improved simple phonograph recorder which can readily be manipulated by the public generally for the purpose of making home recordings.

One of the objects of .the invention is to provide an improved home recorder in which the elevation of the recording arm disconnects the drive of that arm, the recording arm and drive element being connected in a manner such that vertical movements of the drive element do not aii'ect the recording arm during recording.

Other objects, advantages and capabilities of the invention will appear from the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which,

Figure 1 is a plan view of a phonograph embodying my improved recorder, showing the recording arm in operative position;

position to play twelve-inch records. Then, when the turntable is put into operation by the switch l2, the player arm It moves into the twelve-inch initial playing position and remains out 01' contact with the turntable II and the record blank I! upon which the recording is being made. It will be understood, however, that any suitable means may be provided to disconnect the posts iii, II and the player arm l3 from the drive 01 the motor i6, so that the recording operation may be effected without any actuation of the record-changing devices or the player arm l3.

The turntable i4 is driven at uniform speed by'the motor l6 by means of a friction wheel 11 which engages the inner rim of the turntable, as shown in Figure 2. The turntable I4 is rigidly mounted upon a spindle it which projects upwardly above the turntable level for a substantial distance. The spindle I8 is supported on a thrust bearing l9 at the lower end of the housing 20. This'housing is supported on the under side of the motor board 2|, for example, by screws. Re-

Figure- 2 is a similar view showing the recorder arm in inoperative position;

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional elevation through the recording arm, the section being taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is an inverted plan view of the drive lever shown in the lower part oi Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a perspective view of half of the supporting member on which the recording arm is pivotally mounted, the section being taken on the longitudinal axis of the recording arm;

Figure 6 is a vertical section through the center of the turntable, the section being taken on the line 6-8 of Figure 2;

Figure 7 is a fragmentary sectional detail showing the latch member for the recorder arm, the section being taken on the line |'l 01 Figure 2; and

Figure 8 is a similar view showing a modified form of the latch member.

It will be understood that my improved recorder may be applied to any'phonograph having a turntable or to a recording machine having a turntable and not equipped with a reproducing player arm. For home use, however, it is preferred to mount my recording devices upon an automatic phonograph and in Figures 1 and 2 I have shown my recorder applied to the automatic phonograph described and claimed in my copending application Serial No. 325,111, filed March 2 1940.

It may be noted that when I employ this phomo'val or thespindle- I8 from the housing 20 is prevented by a set screw 22 which extends into a groove 23 in the spindle l8.

The spindle I8, is provided near its lower end with worm 24 which cooperates with the gear 25 on a lead screw 26. The lead screw 26 is rotatably mounted in. a horizontal portion 21 ot the housing 20, this portion 21 being elongated to 7 provide spaced bearings for the lead screw 28.

nograph, I set the supporting posts II and II in The lead screw 25 projects out of the housing portion 2! and lies below the portion of the record blank upon which the recording is to b made.

The record blank may be of any known type and is preferably provided with an opening 28 near its central opening. A small plunger 29 mounted in the turntable l4 and biassed upwardly by a light spring, is adapted to project into the opening 28 in known manner, so as to prevent any slippage between the record and the turntable during recording. It'will be understood that the spring of the plunger 29 is so light that an ordinary record placed upon the turntable l4 moves the plunger downwardly flush with the surface of the turntable.

The recording arm 30 may suitably be-of general box formation, being open on its under side, as shown in Figure 3. The arm 30 is vpivotally mounted on a supporting member 3|, one-half of which is shown in Figure 5. The supporting member 3| comprises a lower collar portion 32 which is rigidly mounted by means of a set screw 33 on a hollow shaft 34. The upper portionof the supporting member 3| comprises two side webs 35 which project upwardly into the recording arm 30, one web being located against one side of the arm 30, and the other web being located against the other side of the arm 30.

Adjacent its upper end. each web 35 is provided with a tapped opening 36 which is adapted to receive a screw 31, the outer portion of which is located in an opening in the adjacent side web of the arm 30. Consequently, the arm is pivotally mounted on the upper ends of the webs so that it may be swung from normal recording position, shown in full lines in Figure 3, into the position shown in dot-and-dash lines in Figure 3, by manual manipulation.

The hollow shaft 34 upon which the supporting member 3| is mounted is rotatablymounted in a vertical bearing member 38 rigidly supported on the motor board 2| as shown in Figure 3. The hollow shaft 34 receives a sliding pin 33, the upper end of which is adapted to be engaged by a cam member 40 which is a central web located at the pivoted end of the arm 30.

The lower end of the pin 39 is supported on an adjusting screw 4| carried at one end of a lever 42 which is pivotally mounted on a horizontal axis 43 on a bracket 44 by means of set screws 45 and a pivot member 46 carried by the lever 42. The bracket 44 comprises a split collar portion 41 which is rigidly mounted on the hollow shaft 34 by means of a screw 48.

At its other end, that is the end remote from the adjusting screw 4|, the lever 42 carries a somewhat resilient plate member 49 which projects beyond the end of the lever 42. The spring plate member 49 has a portion 50 stamped out and turned down as shown in Figures 3 and 4 so as to provide a contacting member for the lever 42 which engages the lead screw 26.

The lever 42 projects in substantially the same general direction as the arm 30, but it is located somewhat further away from the turntable spindle. The arrangement being such that when the arm 30 is moved over a portion of the record |5 upon which recording is to be made, the con tact member 50 is brought over the lead screw 26. The end of the lever 42 carrying the contact 50 is biased downwardly by a suitable spring. I have shown a tension spring 5| connected to "suitable elements on the collar 4'! and on the lever 42 for this urpose. I have also shown a flat spring 52 carried by the bracket 44 and engaging the lever 42 so as to attain this result' be of any well-known type and it carries a needle 54 which is adapted to cut the record l5. The needle 54 is retained in place by a screw 55 which projects outwardly through a slot 56 in the end of the player arm 30. The cutting head 53 is rigidly connected to a bracket 51 which is pivotally mounted on opposite sides of the player arm 30 on an axis 58.

The bracket 5'I'carries a resilient member 53 which extends away from the cutting head 53 and is adapted to be engaged by a cam 50 of the bucket cam type. The cam 60 is mounted on the interior of the arm 30 andis directed downwardly. It is rigidly secured to a button 6! located on the upper side of the recording arm 33, the

button 6| and cam 63 being rotatably mounted in a boss 62 on the recording arm 30.

The cam 60 is held in any position into which it may be adjusted by a friction washer 63. Suitable stops 54 on the cam 60 and boss 62 prevent the rotation of the button 6| more than one revolution in one direction. Near the pivotal support of the arm 30 the arm is provided with an internal flange 65 which carries a set screw 66. This set screw is in alignment with an enlarged portion 61 of one of the webs 35 as shown in Figure 5. It will readily be understood that adjustment of the screw 65 will permit the adjustment of the height of the end of the arm 33 carrying the cutting head.

The cam member 40 comprises a cam rest 68 which is preferably a circle with the center on the pivotal axis of the arm 33. The cam 40 also comprises a cam rest 63 which engages the pin 39 when the arm 33 is swung upwardly away from cutting position into the position which is shown in dotted lines in Figure 3. Between the surface 63 and surface 33, the cam -.member 40 is provided with a cam rise 10. When the arm 30 is in cutting position, the cam surface 63 engages the pin 33. When the arm 30 is swung to elevated position, the cam rise 10 moves over the upper end of the pin 33 and projects this pin downwardly. The downward movement of the pin 33 swings the lever 42 about its axis 43 and elevates the member 56 away from the lead screw 26.

When the recording arm 30 is thrown into its inoperativeposition, that is, the position shown in Figure 2, it is held in that position by means of a latch member 1|. This latch member may suitably consist of a bracket secured to the under-side of the motor board 2!, which bracket includes a horizontal arm 12 directed in a generally inward direction.

The extremity of the horizontal arm 12 is provided on its upper side with a sloping surface 13 which is adapted to engage a lever 42 when the arm 33 'is moved into inoperative position. The sloping surface 13 is located in iwerlapping relation with the outer end of the lead screw 26 as shown in Figure 7 so that when the outwardly moving arm 30 carries the lever 42 into engagement with the sloping surface 13, this lever is elevated against the action of the springs 5| and 52 and the contact member 50 is raised out of engagement with the lead screw 26.

The arm 12 is provided with a horizontal upper surface 15 over which the lever 42 rides in the continued outward movement of the arm 33. When the arm 33 is completely moved to its inoperative position, lever 42 rides down an inclined surface 16 at the outer end of the horizontal surface I5 and the lever 42 is thus latched in this position until it is positively moved inwardly again by manual actuation of the arm 30.

In the modified form shown in Figure 8, the sloping surface 15 is replaced by a vertical surface 11. It will be readily understood that in the modification of Figure 8 the arm 30 cannot be moved inwardly until the arm 30 is raised manually from its normal generally horizontal position.

In either modification, the arm 30 is definitely held out in the inoperative position and when the arm is moved into operative position, the

lever 42 may ride over the horizontal upper surface 15 of the horizontal arm I2 and then may ride down the sloping surface 13 until the conof the member 50 with the lead screw until the arm 30 is brought into the initial recording position for the blank on which the recording is to be made. However, the horizontal arm 12 insures that the end of the lead screw will not be engaged by the inwardly moving lever 42.

The operation is as follows: The recording arm 30 being in the position shown in Figure 2,'

a record blank I is placed on the turntable with the plunger 29 projecting through its opening 28. The motor is then started and the recording arm 30 is elevated by hand. This elevation results in the downward movement of the pin 39 and the elevation of the member 50. The arm 30 is then translated manually so as to bring its needle 54 into proper initial position for the recording.

The arm 80 is then moved downwardly so as to bring the set screws 65 into abutting relation with the portion 61 of one of the webs 35. This movement brings its needle 54 into engagement with the record blank IS. The weight of the arm 30 is suflicient to maintain the set screw 56 in engagement with the portion 61 of the web 35 during recording. During this downwardmovement, the cam rise III moves to the left, as viewed in Figure 3, past the pin 39, and conse quently the pin 89 is moved upwardly by the screw 4| carried on the lever 42, this lever being swung in generally clockwise direction as viewed in Figure 3. i

This movement of the lever 42 brings the element 50 carried by it into engagement with the lead screw 26. This lead screw being driven from the turntable, moves the member 50' inwardly at a slow speed and the recording arm 30 is likewise moved inwardly so that its needle adapted to be actuated by said cam means to 54 cuts a spiral groove of known type in the upper surface of the record blank 15.

It will be understood that the depth of cut is controlled by the position of the set screw 66 and the button 6|. Since the lead screw 26 is mounted at one end only, it may not be accurately parallel with the turntable. This lack of parallelarity has, however, no effect upon the recording arm 30. Any variation of the thrust of the pin 39 upon the cam surface 68 will have no effect upon the arm 30 since this pin engages a surface 68 which has its center on the axis of the arm 3'3.

The springs 5|, 52 are sufllciently strong to maintain the screw 5| in contact with the pin 39. The flexibility of the member 49 is such that this member will be distorted, if necessary, in order to follow a slight slope of the lead screw 28 so that the lead screw 26 may be out of horizontal position to some extent, without in any way affecting the recording action of the needle member adapted to engage said lead screw, in combination, a member on which said recorder arm is pivotally mounted on a horizontal axis for vertical movement of the recorder arm, said member being pivotally mounted on a vertical axis to permit translation of the recorder arm over the turntable, means whereby said lead screw engaging member is pivotally mounted on said member, cam means on said recorder arm, and means associated with said member and swing said lead screw engaging member about its pivot means and away from the lead screw when the recorder arm is manually elevated.

2. In a recorder for phonograph records, including a turntable. a recorder arm adapted to cooperate with a record blank on said turntable, a leadscrew operatively connected to the turntable, and a lead screw engaging member, in combination, a member rotatable on-a vertical axis, said recorder arm being pivoted thereto on a horizontal axis, said lead screw engaging member being a lever pivotally mounted on said rotatable member, means biassing said lever toward said lead screw, an axially displaceable arm and adapted to actuate said axially displaceable member, when said arm is elevated, to swing said lever away from the lead screw.

3. In a recorder for phonograph records, including a turntable, a lead screw below said turntable and operatively connected thereto, and a recording arm, in combination, a vertical hearing, a hollow shaft rotatably mounted therein, an axially movable pin mounted within said shaft, a supporting member rigidly mounted on the upper end of said shaft, said recorder arm being pivotally mounted on a horizontal axis on said supporting member, stop means on said arm and member for holding said arm in a substanstially horizontal position, said arm being adapted to swing over the turntable during recording, a bracket rigidly secured to the lower end of said shaft, a lever adapted to engage said lead screw pivotally mounted on said bracket and to engage said pin, and cam means on said recorder arm adapted to move said pin axially and to swing said lever from the lead screw when the recorder arm is swung upwardly about its pivotal axis.

'4. In a recorder for phonograph records, in combination, a vertical bearing, a hollow shaft rotatably mounted therein, a recording arm pivotally connected to the upper end of said shaftto swing about a horizontal axis, a lever pivotally mounted on the lower end of said shaft, means preventing axial displacement of said shaft, a lead screw adapted to be engaged by said lever, means biasing said lever toward the screw, a cam on said arm, and a pin extending through said shaft co-operating with said cam and said lever, whereby the elevation of the arm causes its cam to displace the pin and move the lever away from the lead screw.

5. In a recorder for phonograph records, in combination, a vertical bearing, a hollow shaft rotatably mounted therein, a recording arm pivotally connected to the upper end of said shaft to swing about a horizontal axis, adjustable means controlling the recording position of said arm, a

lever pivotally mounted on the lower end of said shaft, means preventing axial displacement of the screw, a cam on said arm, and a pin extending through said shaft co-operating with said cam and said lever, whereby the elevation of the arm causes its cam to displace the pin and move the lever away from the lead screw.

6. in a recorder for phonograph records. in combination, a vertical bearing, a hollow shaft rotatably mounted therein, a recording arm pivotally connected to the upper end of said shaft to swing about a horizontal axis, a lever pivotally mounted on the lower end of said shaft, means preventing axial displacement of said shaft, a lead screw adapted to be engaged by said lever, means biasing said lever toward the screw, a cam on said arm, and a pin extending through said shaft cooperating with said cam and said lever, whereby the elevation of the ar: 2 causes its cam to displace the pin and move the lever away from the lead screw, said cam having a circular surface having its centeapn the axis of the arm 111-20 engagement withsaid pin during recording.

7. In a recorder for phonograph records, in combination, a vertical bearing, a hollow shaft rotatably mounted therein, a recording arm pivotally connected to the upper end of said shaft to swing about a horizontal axis, a lever pivotally mounted on the lower end of said shaft, means preventing axial displacement of said shaft, a lead screw adapted to be engaged by said lever, means biasing said lever toward the screw, a cam on said arm, and a pin extending through said shaft co-operating with said cam and said lever, whereby the elevation of the arm causes its cam to displace the pin and move the lever away from the lead screw, said cam.

having a circular surface having its center on the axis of the arm in engagement with said pin during recording, and said lever comprising a resilient section whereby it is biased against the pin during recording.

CARL G. JOHNSON. 

